Four Baseball Players Receive Post Season Honors

First Time A Hilbert Team So Recognized

PITTSBURGH, PA – Hilbert’s Nick Sherman was named the Pitcher of the Year (First Team All-Conference) while Pitt-Bradford’s second baseman Derek Smith garnered Player of the Year honors from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference this week. La Roche College’s Brian Tougher earned Newcomer of the Year recognition and his coach, Chase Rowe was named Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Also named to an All-Conference Team from Hilbert were junior Chris Hoak (First Team), Matt Militello (Second Team) and Jim Pernick (Third Team). This marks the first time that any Hilbert College varsity team has had four players voted to an All-Conference team in one season.

Sherman lead the AMCC with complete games pitched (5) making nine appearances on the mound and finished 4-5 in league games. He blew away opposing pitchers with his 49-innings pitched (38 strike-outs) out distancing the next closest pitcher by 10 innings. He finished his Hilbert career with the All-Time win record of 13 games.

Hoak roamed the left side of the infield defensively while leading the Hawks at the plate. His .422 batting average ranked him third in the league’s averages, 7th in slugging percentage (.618), and 2nd in Triples (4). The shortstop led the Hawks with 102 at bats, finished first in hits (43), doubles (9), triples (4) and tied for first with 27 RBIs and finished second in runs (24). Defensively, his .947 fielding percentage helped him to turn 14 double plays over the course of the season.

Militello covered center field his entire Hilbert career and was finally recognized for his speed and accurate throws. This season’s .354 batting average helped him to score a team-best 26 runs off his 34 hits. He hit six doubles and two triples along with one home run. “Mili” finished his career as the Hawks’ All-Time Hit leader with 159.

Pernick was used as a catcher in AMCC games but also saw time in the infield covering the pads for his team when needed. Pernick’s .387 batting average put him in 7th place and his .482 on-base percentage positioned him in 5th in the AMCC rankings. He finished second in hits (36), doubles (6) and team high two-home runs for the Hawks. He and Hoak led with 27 RBIs and Pernick was walked 17 times he stood at the plate. He registered 108 putouts which was good for third on team, directly below the two 1st basemen on defense. In three seasons, Pernick broke 100 hits milestone.

Hilbert finished the season 10-20 and a 6-10, and in both situations, the Hawks doubled their win record from last year.

Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 1,100 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs and new Accelerated Degree Programs geared to adult learners.